Simone Bridges' guide for kids eating in San Francisco

September 3, 2015September 3, 2015

Izakaya Rintaro (Mission)

Ratings:

Kid Foodie Review:

Hello fellow kid foodies!! I am super happy to be back after a fun summer, and ready to tell you about a yummy place to take your parents to–Rintaro! Last night was Grandpa Party Night, so we headed out for some Japanese food (one of my favorite types of food, for sure). First, they are super nice to kids here. As soon as my family sat down I got a cool origami set (with polkadot paper!) and also a bright green drink with a neat straw. I loved, loved the yellow fin tuna and also the chicken and meatballs–on sticks! I sort of made my own sushi by ordering sashimi and a bowl of rice. YUM! I wasn’t feeling like I wanted to try a bunch of my family’s stuff (I was a little tired from all of my summer fun), but the adults loved their food too. Kids, this is a great place to go for yummy food and a fun family night out! Rintaro, thanks for a great Grandpa Party Night!!

Mom’s Review (for what it’s worth):

Hi parents! Ok, first of all, welcome back to the school year–whew, summer is always such a fun (but crazy, with often hobbled-together kid care) ride . Kid Foodie was back on the scene last night at Rintaro, which was off our radar for some reason, but such a delicious find for kid-friendly Japanese food!

We all instantly loved this place–from the moment you walk through the (extremely easy to miss warehouse-looking) door you are greeted by a cool courtyard and welcoming staff. We showed up around 6:30pm on a Wednesday and Rintaro had a nice, pleasantly-lively dinner vibe. As we entered the actual restaurant we were met with friendly greetings from behind the bar and also by the lovely host who engaged Kid Foodie in light conversation. We were seated at a nice booth with tons of room for Kid Foodie, who was extremely happy because she was instantly presented with an origami set. We also got nice warm, damp towels for our hands (and really, does it get any better than a kid with clean hands who is happily entertained by a not-a-screen activity–no, for me it does not).

Ok, let’s discuss the food. The menu is packed with locally-sourced foods, which made me super happy (think Cowgirl Creamery and Dirty Girl produce). We were welcomed with delicious skewers of sweet peppers and okra and ume (Japanese apricot) champagne cocktails. Yum! I loved the bright green and red flash of veggies to start our meal, which were tender with a ton of flavor. Our server was extremely kind, explained the menu just enough for us, and happily discussed options for Kid Foodie. Kid Foodie knew exactly what she wanted, and got down to her usual business of devouring any type of sashimi presented to her, and also decided to order rice to create sushi. Our server happily accommodated her and didn’t even flinch as Kid Foodie molded her rice to suit her preferences.

The adults started with french beans and walnuts, which was actually a creamy dish with a lot of flavor, and the beans were cooked to slightly-crispy perfection. We also had the miso-cured black cod, which was tender and delicious, especially with the crisp cucumber. Kid Foodie decided that she also loved this dish, and momentarily put down her rice to consume most of the cod. Don’t leave here without the Monterey halibut sashimi, the San Francisco yellow fin tuna, and the dashimaki tamago (fancy egg omelet–amazing!!). We also loved the yakitori (chicken skewers), which may sound boring, but trust me on this (as well as the meatballs). The only thing we didn’t adore was the yosedofu (silken tofu)–it was too bland for us–but I suspect this is because this meat-and-veggie-loving family just isn’t the tofu type.

We all left here feeling happy and full–Rintaro is a fantastic, inventive, delicious kid-friendly place for family Japanese night! Don’t hesitate to take the kids for some adventurous eating.